Pages

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

N is for The Neverland

The story of Peter Pan and his lost boys has long been a childhood favorite. It has a little bit of everything. Fairies, pirates, sword fights . . . it's a truly wonderful tale. And like all great stories, it needs a phenomenal setting.

In this case, Neverland. Even today as a fully grown woman the name still sends chills down my spine. Doesn't every adult sometimes wish they could be a child again? To live in a world where they'll never grow up? Never have to pay taxes, or get a "real" job, never feel their aging body begin to betray them? I certainly have. And I dream of Neverland, where you never, never have to grow old.

What most people don't know is that Neverland, or The Neverlands as it is referred to in Peter and Wendy, is not one fixed location. Rather it resides within the mind of every child, and though it is "always more or less an island, with astonishing splashes of color here and there", it changes from one kid to the next. And isn't that such a beautiful concept? This idea of a fantastical island somewhere that's very essence belongs to each child's imagination, shaped and molded by their dreams.

I love that the physical make-up for Neverland is specifically designed to inspire adventure. Barrie writes that that island is "compact, not large and sprawly, you know, with tedious distances between one adventure and another, but nicely crammed." With the mermaid lagoon just around the corner from Skull Island, and pirate cove a stone's throw the Piccaninny encampment, the very nature of Neverland breeds thrilling exploits and escapades. As fun and exciting as the tales of Neverland are, there is of course one slightly darker interpretation. It is widely known that J. M. Barrie's brother passed away in a horrible skating accident as a child. Having died so young, he became the inspiration for Peter Pan, the "boy who never grew up". In some ways we can then see Neverland as a sort of afterlife paradise for dead children where they can seek adventure and joy, eternally young.

Still, Neverland is the embodiment of our childhood fantasies and the place we return to in our dreams. And as ever, it's home to the boy who never, never grows up.

This post is part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme (in case you didn't already guess) is Fairy Tales. Stay tuned for the rest of the alphabet, and if you'd like to check out the other participants, simply click here.

18 comments:

I recently visited that place that was said to be the inspiration for Peter Pan, where he wrote it, and it is warming to think that in such a beautiful setting Barrie tried to make his brother eternal.

i haven't read the starcatcher yet, it's on my megahuge tbr list. and now you make me want to read peter pan again. one of my favorite quotes is when he's injured by hook and says, "to die would be an awefully big adventure."

i don't know why. it's morbid, but i guess it sums up what everyone will face eventually.

I never knew Neverland was supposed to be in the imagination of every child - but the compactness does speak to the impatience of a child, needing to go immediately from adventure to adventure :) The idea of it being an afterlife is melancholy, but understandable, especially if it is designed per child.SophieSophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z GhostsFantasy Boys XXX - A to Z Drabblerotic

I used to have a Wendy doll on my desk because I wanted to never grow up -- but then, like Wendy, I realized it wasn't so bad after all, and I passed the doll on. Peter Pan resonated with me most when I was an adolescent, on the precipice of adulthood, and wanting to put it off just a *little* longer. While the idea is enchanting, I also find it a little sad -- those children will never know what they're giving up.

I'm currently reading a new YA novel, "Second Star," which imagines "Neverland" as an enclave for runaway "surfer" boys, with surfing being the equivalent of flying. It's well written and an interesting take. I really want to read "Tiger Lily," which came out a few years ago, too. Have you read it?

I love the idea of Neverland. I remember as a child the pirate and the crocodile scared me though. I also was really sad that there were no moms there. Funny what you remember as your first impression.